Hopkinsville High School is a four-year
public high school
State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in pa ...
located in
Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Hopkinsville is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population at the 2010 census was 31,577.
History
Early years
The area of present-day Hopkinsville was initially claimed in 1796 b ...
, with over 1,000 students. It is operated by the
Christian County Public Schools school district
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations.
North America United States
In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...
.
History
There was controversy in 1925 when the Christian County Board of Education was found to be failing to maintain a high school within its county seat but it was determined that the arrangements made with Hopkinsville High School met the legal requirements. Subsequently, administration was taken over by the
Christian County Public Schools school district
A school district is a special-purpose district that operates local public primary and secondary schools in various nations.
North America United States
In the U.S, most K–12 public schools function as units of local school districts, wh ...
.
Academic standards
Teachers boycotted graduation exercises, in May 1998, after the school board granted diplomas to three seniors. The circumstances were investigated by state officials. Education Commissioner Bill Cody said the Christian County school board's action was "an awful decision" and probably illegal but the students were allowed to make up their courses at summer school.
Athletics
Hopkinsville High School competes in the
Kentucky High School Athletic Association
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) has been the governing body of the U.S. state of Kentucky high-school athletics since 1917. It is located in Lexington.
Sports
The organization sanctions competition in the following sports ...
. The school mascot is the Tiger and the school colors are black and orange.
[
In 1965 and 1966, the Hopkinsville High School football teams won the state AA football title with undefeated seasons, under coach Fleming Thornton.
In 1985, the boys' basketball team won the state title. The 1985 team also won that year's McDonald's Classic, defeating ]DeMatha Catholic High School
DeMatha Catholic High School is a four-year Catholic high school for boys located in Hyattsville, Maryland, United States. Named after John of Matha, DeMatha is under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and is a member of the Washington Ca ...
of Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, and also a close, urban suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 21,187 at the 2020 United States Census.
History
Before Europeans reached the area, the upper An ...
by a score of 74–69 in the tournament final. The Tigers Basketball team has won the KHSAA Region 2 Championship 5 out of the last 6 years. Advancing all the way to the Final Four in 2013.
Hopkinsville High School is also one out of four high schools in Kentucky to have an indoor swimming pool on campus.
Other extra-curricular activities
The marching band joined with cross-town-rivals Christian County High School in 2008. The idea came about in the summer break of 2007, when the indoor drumline program would be conjoined. Indoor drumline was a success, and the two schools joined for the regular marching season. The band is used the name CoHop, representing Christian County High School and Hopkinsville High School.
However, they have recently split back up into two different bands.
During the 2015 KMEA Marching Band season, the Hopkinsville marching band made school history by advancing to the Finalist round, earning 4th place in class AAAA. The band is currently led by Grant Jones.
On October 29, 2016, the Hopkinsville High School Marching Band again made history by claiming the title of Class AAAA State Champions at the KMEA State Marching Band Championships. This is the first time in school history that the band has won a state championship, and their second appearance in Finals competition since the creation of the KMEA SMBC.
The Band of Tigers won their third straight Class 4A West Region Championship on October 21, 2017. On October 28, 2017, the Band placed first at the Class 4A Semifinals competition at South Oldham High School, claiming a spot in Finals for the 3rd time. That night the Band of Tigers competed at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky and placed 2nd in Class 4A receiving the title of Runner Up. The Tigers fell to first time champion Anderson County HS.
On October 20, 2018, the Band of Tigers won their fourth consecutive 4A West Regional Championship. The next Saturday they advanced to KMEA 4A State Finals yet again after placing 2nd at the State Semifinals competition.
Notable alumni
* Bird Averitt
William Rodney "Bird" Averitt (July 22, 1952December 12, 2020) was an American professional basketball player in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won an ABA championship with the Kentuc ...
(1952–2020), professional basketball player
* Robert A. Baker
Robert Allen Baker Jr. (June 27, 1921 – August 8, 2005) was an American psychologist, professor of psychology emeritus of the University of Kentucky, skeptic, author, and investigator of ghosts, UFO abductions, lake monsters and other paranorma ...
(1921–2005), psychologist, "ghost buster" and skeptic
* Ned Breathitt
Edward Thompson Breathitt Jr. (November 26, 1924October 14, 2003) was an American politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A member of one of the state's political families, he was the 51st Governor of Kentucky, serving from 1963 to 1967. A ...
(1924–2003), 51st governor of Kentucky
* Jerry Claiborne
Jerry David Claiborne (August 26, 1928 – September 24, 2000) was an American college football player and coach. He was the head football coach at Virginia Tech (1961–1970), the University of Maryland, College Park (1972–1981), and his alma m ...
(1928–2000), college football coach and member of the College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
* Edward M. Coffman
Edward M. Coffman (January 27, 1929 – September 16, 2020) was a military historian and University of Wisconsin-Madison professor emeritus.
Early life
He was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and earned his BA, MA, and PhD at the University of Kent ...
(1929-2020), military historian, academic and author
* John Miller Cooper
John Miller Cooper (1912 – September 18, 2010) was an American educator. He is also regarded as one of the early innovators of the basketball jump shot and as a pioneer in the field of biomechanics and human movement.
Biography
Early years
C ...
(1912–2010), basketball jump shot innovator and pioneer of kinesiology
* Logan Feland (1869–1936), Major General in the United States Marine Corps
* bell hooks
Gloria Jean Watkins (September 25, 1952December 15, 2021), better known by her pen name bell hooks, was an American author and social activist who was Distinguished Professor in Residence at Berea College. She is best known for her writings on ...
(1952–2021), academic and author
* Easton McGee
Easton Michael McGee (born December 26, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022.
Career Tampa Bay Rays
McGee played high sch ...
(born 1997), professional baseball pitcher
* Artose Pinner (born 1978), gridiron football player
* Curtis Pulley
Curtis Pulley (born November 21, 1986) is a former American football quarterback for the Florida A&M University Rattlers. Pulley used to be a quarterback and wide receiver for the University of Kentucky Wildcats. He was selected as the 2004 Ke ...
(born 1986), gridiron football player, selected as Kentucky Mr. Football 2004 after his senior year[Cosby, Chip]
"FUTURE REMAINS CLOUDY FOR FRUSTRATED PULLEY"
''Lexington Herald-Leader
The ''Lexington Herald-Leader'' is a newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and based in Lexington, Kentucky. According to the ''1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook'', the paid circulation of the ''Herald-Leader'' is the second large ...
'', December 19, 2006. Accessed February 17, 2008. "Pulley was named 2004 Kentucky Mr. Football after his senior year at Hopkinsville High School, and he was one of the gems of the Cats' 2005 recruiting class."
See also
*South Kentucky College
South Kentucky College, originally South Kentucky Institute and later renamed McLean College, was a finishing school for girls founded in 1849 that became a co-educational college before closing by 1914, located in Belmont Hill in Hopkinsville, ...
References
External links
Official site
{{authority control
Schools in Christian County, Kentucky
Public high schools in Kentucky
Hopkinsville, Kentucky